Meet AHRA's Incredible 2021 Keynote Speakers!

Lex Gillette    To The Top

As a totally blind long jumper for Team USA, Lex Gillette has achieved medal winning performances at every major international competition he has attended to date. His ultimate goal is to earn a fifth consecutive nomination to the Paralympic Games team, and make a successful landing in the gold medal position on the top of the podium at the Tokyo Paralympics in August, 2021.

Although doctors said he would be blind, Lex’s mom and a host of individuals invested in him the skills that would help him achieve success. When Lex is giving a motivational presentation on stage, his goal is to inspire audiences to realize a vision of who they can truly be, ultimately, teaching people to see.

There is no need for sight when you have a vision. This mantra is central to Lex’s outlook on life. Sight did not determine his success, rather it was seeing a vision for the future and doing everything in his power to transform it into reality. Without a vision for the future, you cannot expect to turn your actions into real world successes. Look past your current reality and challenge yourself to see further than you ever thought possible.

Monday, August 2: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Grand Opening Ceremony & Keynote: FLY! Find Your Own Wings and Soar Above Life’s Challenges
Generously sponsored by: 

Achieving goals often requires taking risks, facing challenges, and successfully conquering those challenges. Blind since the age of eight, Lex Gillette was determined to not let that factor keep him from achieving his goals. In this presentation, you will travel with Lex through many scenes of his life, feeling every emotion along the way. You will be taken on a journey of discovery that will reveal the lessons and ideas that have propelled him to four Paralympic medals, four world champion titles, and a world record in the long jump for totally blind athletes. He invites you to close your eyes, open your mind, and visualize life at your highest potential. What does that look like? How do you achieve it? Through a clear set of action items, Lex’s presentation will help you navigate down your own metaphorical runway and leap into your dreams.

You will learn to:
• Identify the blindfolds that may exist in your life and how to remove them.
• Establish real connection and collaborate more effectively within your team.
• Identify a vision and develop your own dynamic “brand of sight”.
Domains: HR, CE Credits: 1

Devin Henderson    To The Top

A multi-talented powerhouse: an author, experienced presenter and seasoned performer, Devin Henderson  has logged thousands of performances as an award-winning comedian and magician, and in-demand keynote speaker over his nearly two decade professional career. Devin’s passion is using his unique talents and experiences to inspire individuals and organizations to discover their greatest potential and keep going no matter what.

In 2014, Devin was honored when America’s Got Talent invited him to audition in Hollywood for Howard Stern, Heidi Klum, Mel B and Howie Mandel after the producers saw videos of his magic performances on YouTube. Although he did not pass the audition and the segment never aired, it was an amazing and pivotal moment in Devin’s career and life. The America’s Got Talent let-down, coupled with other competition losses, helped shape the message he now shares with his audiences about accepting disappointing experiences as teachable moments and springboards to something greater.

Anyone who meets Devin soon learns there are always new levels of potential available to them, and achieving greatness in work and in life requires commitment, risk, perseverance and is a daily, on-going process. Devin helps people define and strive for their best all while maintaining positivity, humility, a sense of humor, and most importantly, a vision for new possibilities. To share this message, Devin’s full-length keynote includes a unique combination of magic, storytelling, and audience interaction that audiences have called “unreal,” “unexpected,” and “unforgettable.”

Tuesday, August 3: 9:45 AM - 11:00 AM
General Session & Keynote: Something Greater is Always Possible
Generously Sponsored by: 
What would you do and who you be if you believed anything was possible for you? For many people a once-held vision of unlimited possibility gets small and limited as a result of life’s daily stressors, persistent insecurities, self doubt, isolation and even failure. But what if you could reclaim and even expand your full potential at anytime? And what if your truest potential was bigger, richer and more satisfying than you had previously envisioned? Join seasoned speaker and performer, Devin Henderson for an entertaining, funny, and inspiring experience to break free of your perceived limits and realize your greatness like never before.

You will learn to:
• Rethink the Impossible.
• Dream Bigger.
• Attain a seemingly impossible goal, without getting in your own way or giving up.
Domains: HR, CE Credits: 1

Jason Hewlett    To The Top

Having delivered thousands of presentations over 2 decades, Jason Hewlett  is the only speaker in the world teaching leadership in a performance of uncanny musical and comedy impressions, utilizing the legends of stage. “The Promise” is a keynote speech that feels like a show, with proven processes and immediately implementable takeaways to transform your business and leadership skill.

Jason is the author of the Facebook post entitled, “I Saw My Wife at Target Today”, which has been seen by more than 100 million people. A recent, and one of the youngest inductees in the prestigious Speaker Hall of Fame, his talks inspire leadership from the perspective of a Promise, while giving attendees an engaging, entertaining, and educational experience all in one. With over 2,000 presentations for Fortune 500 companies and clients such as American Express, Delta Airlines, the Salt Lake Olympics, Experian, NuSkin, Younique, Coca~Cola and Wells Fargo, Jason Hewlett is your go-to solution for a keynote, entertainment and emcee.


Wednesday, August 4: 3:15 PM - 5:15 PM
Closing Business Session & Keynote: The Promise: Become a Legendary Leader and Discover Your Signature Moves
Generously Sponsored by Bayer



In 2021 our world is different, but foundational values remain the same: To deliver on our Promises, to be accountable to expectations and exceed them, and to always give 100% in every interaction. In Jason’s entertaining and educational presentation, utilizing the legends of stage for establishing what a Promise looks like from a performance level, participants will be enlightened, energized, and entertained in a keynote unlike any other.  Music, comedy, stories, and powerful insights will leave your attendees talking about The Promise in their own lives, business, and how everyone can up their game in 2021.

You will learn:
• Confidence in Skills and Talents
• Team Unity
• ICM Process - Identify, Clarify, Magnify
• Discovery of Signature Moves and Personal Branding
• Energy for delivering at a higher level of Leadership in 2021
Domains: HR, CE Credits: 1